Memphis 3.0, the City of Memphis’ first comprehensive plan for growth since 1981, has been selected by Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) for a 2021 Charter Award in the Metropolis, City, and Town category. CNU’s Charter Awards are recognized as the nation’s top award for urban design, placemaking, and community building. The announcement was made by CNU in a release posted to their website.
Read it here: https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2021/05/03/growing-not-out
The plan was recognized by CNU for its vision of “build up, not out,” a departure from growth policies of old, and a path to reinvestment in central city neighborhoods.
“Over the years, some Memphis neighborhoods were left behind,” said Mayor Jim Strickland. “This plan is a roadmap for growth and investments that will ensure all neighborhoods throughout the city feel the economic growth they deserve.”
The awards jury recognized the plan for the coordinated approach to land use policies, goals, objectives, and actions in a manner that recommends focusing growth, policy, and investments in the core city and neighborhood centers to create more dense, mixed-use, mixed-income, walkable, transit-served communities.
“Remaining solvent into the next generation is a challenge for many American cities that have grown too large in land area relative to population,” said Alli Thurmond Quinlan, a Charter Awards juror. “Memphis is showing bravery and honesty in making hard choices now in their comprehensive plan.”
Memphis 3.0 was selected as an example of how New Urbanism is being implemented and making a real impact on communities. Following the guidance of the comprehensive plan, the City has recently launched its Accelerate Memphis initiative to invest $200 million in neighborhoods in the form of public infrastructure, affordable housing, parks and greenways, and reinvigoration of diminished public assets.
The CNU Charter Award is the second national recognition bestowed on the Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan since its adoption. Last year, the American Planning Association gave Memphis 3.0 the Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan, the organization’s top award for a city plan.
To view the full plan or for more information, please visit https://memphis3point0.com.